New head of the British Army takes up post

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

General Sir Peter Wall, whose appointment as Chief of the General Staff (CGS) was approved by Her Majesty The Queen in July, has taken up the post today.

General Sir David Richards (right) hands over to the new Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall (left) [Picture: Harland Quarrington, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

General Wall replaces General Sir David Richards as the professional head of the British Army.

General Richards will take up post as Chief of the Defence Staff after Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup retires later this year.

General Wall said:

I am delighted to be taking over from General Sir David Richards as Chief of the General Staff today. Our Army is rightly focused on delivering success on operations at home and abroad. It is as well-manned, well-trained and as operationally-hardened as it has been at any time during my service.

We are working extremely hard to deliver security in Afghanistan, alongside our Afghan and international partners. Real progress is being made thanks to the extraordinary commitment and courage of our soldiers, airmen and sailors.

In parallel, the Army is actively engaged in the Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review. This provides an essential opportunity to align capabilities and resources in meeting the nation’s long term security needs.

We live in an uncertain world in which the Army will continue to have a vital role to play.

It is a great privilege to be head of the Army at such a critical time and I much look forward to the challenge.

Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox, said:

I look forward to working with General Wall in his role as the new Chief of the General Staff. At such a vital time for Defence, I know General Wall will bring strong leadership and a wealth of experience to this role.

I would also like to thank General Richards for the excellent work he has done throughout his time as CGS.